1926–27 Nelson F.C. season

Nelson
1926–27 season
Manager Percy Smith
Football League Third Division North 5th
FA Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Jimmy Hampson and Buchanan Sharp (23)
All: Jimmy Hampson (25)
Highest home attendance 12,415 (vs Bradford (Park Avenue), 12 February 1927)
Lowest home attendance 2,385 (vs Tranmere Rovers, 7 May 1927)
Average home league attendance 6,080
Home colours

The 1926–27 season was the 46th season in the history of Nelson Football Club and their sixth campaign as a professional club in the Football League. Nelson ended the season with a record of 22 wins, 7 draws and 13 defeats, helping the team to a total of 51 points. The team started the campaign well—winning six of the first nine matches—and lost only three matches during the first five months of the campaign. In the 1926–27 season, Nelson recorded several large victories, including a 7–0 win over Accrington Stanley and a 7–1 defeat of Crewe Alexandra. Nelson were consistently near the top of the league table throughout the campaign, but were never able to supplant Stoke City from the top position, and a run of six consecutive losses at the end of the season saw them finish in fifth-place in the league.

In addition to the league campaign, Nelson also entered the FA Cup and reached the second round for the first time in their history, beating Stockport County in the first round before being knocked out by Ashington. Nelson used 24 different players during the season, many of whom had also played for the club during the previous campaign. Forwards Jimmy Hampson and Buchanan Sharp were the top goalscorers in the league, each scoring 23 goals, with Hampson's two strikes in the Cup giving him a total of 25. No player appeared in all 44 competitive matches; former England international George Wilson played the highest number of matches with 42 appearances. The highest attendance of the season at the club's Seedhill stadium was 12,415 for the 1–0 win over Bradford (Park Avenue) on 12 February 1927, while the lowest gate was 2,385 for the final game of the season against Tranmere Rovers.

Football League Third Division North

Key

  • H = Home match
  • A = Away match
  • In Result column, Nelson's score shown first
  • Goalscorers shown in order of first goal scored

Match results

Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
28 August 1926 Wigan Borough (A) 1–2 Sharp 6,788
4 September 1926 Doncaster Rovers (H) 5–1 Earle (3), Bottrill, Stevenson 6,982
11 September 1926 Stoke City (A) 1–4 Sharp 11,199
13 September 1926 Ashington (H) 4–0 Earle, Sharp (2), Bottrill 5,595
15 September 1926 New Brighton (H) 2–0 Sharp (2) 5,244
18 September 1926 Rotherham United (H) 5–3 Baker (2), Bottrill, Sharp, Stevenson 6,395
25 September 1926 Bradford (Park Avenue) (A) 2–2 Earle, Bottrill 11,992
2 October 1926 Walsall (H) 3–2 Sharp, Stevenson, Earle 6,295
9 October 1926 Lincoln City (A) 4–1 Harris, Stevenson, Hampson, Earle 4,920
16 October 1926 Durham City (A) 1–1 Baker 5,517
23 October 1926 Accrington Stanley (A) 5–0 Hoad (2), Stevenson (2), Sharp 6,804
30 October 1926 Halifax Town (H) 0–0 7,316
6 November 1926 Barrow (A) 1–0 Stevenson 3,526
13 November 1926 Crewe Alexandra (H) 7–1 Hampson (4), Stevenson, Baker, Sharp 4,149
20 November 1926 Hartlepools United (A) 2–3 Sharp, Hampson 3,171
4 December 1926 Southport (A) 4–3 Hampson (2), Wilson, Earle 4,438
18 December 1926 Tranmere Rovers (A) 3–2 Hampson, Stevenson, Sharp 3,970
27 December 1926 Wrexham (A) 2–2 Sharp (2) 10,362
1 January 1927 Wrexham (H) 3–0 Stevenson (2), Sharp 6,485
8 January 1927 Stockport County (H) 6–1 Hampson (3), Keers, Sharp (2) 4,129
15 January 1927 Wigan Borough (H) 4–0 Baker, Sharp, Keers, Hampson 5,205
22 January 1927 Doncaster Rovers (A) 0–6 4,977
29 January 1927 Stoke City (H) 1–0 Sharp 9,974
5 February 1927 Rotherham United (A) 3–2 Sharp, Hampson, Keers 4,345
12 February 1927 Bradford (Park Avenue) (H) 1–0 Baker 12,415
19 February 1927 Walsall (A) 1–4 Sharp 3,498
26 February 1927 Lincoln City (H) 2–1 Stevenson (2), Sharp 5,784
5 March 1927 Durham City (A) 3–3 Hampson (2), Sharp 1,135
12 March 1927 Accrington Stanley (H) 7–0 Hampson (3), Bedford (2), Wilson, White 7,046
19 March 1927 Halifax Town (A) 1–4 White 13,602
23 March 1927 Ashington (A) 1–1 White 1,047
26 March 1927 Barrow (H) 3–0 Hampson, White, Bedford 3,668
2 April 1927 Crewe Alexandra (A) 1–2 Stevenson 5,225
5 April 1927 Rochdale (H) 3–1 Hampson (2), White 5,871
9 April 1927 Hartlepools United (H) 6–2 White (3), Hampson, Stevenson, Wilson 4,369
15 April 1927 Chesterfield (A) 1–1 Bedford 12,744
16 April 1927 Stockport County (H) 1–4 Wilson 10,546
18 April 1927 Chesterfield (H) 0–3 6,699
23 April 1927 Southport (H) 1–2 Stevenson 3,473
27 April 1927 New Brighton (A) 2–7 Stevenson (2) 3,104
30 April 1927 Rochdale (A) 1–2 Wilson 3,871
5 May 1927 Tranmere Rovers (H) 0–2 2,385

Final league position

Pos Team Games played Won Drawn Lost Goals for Goals against Points
5 Nelson 42 22 7 13 104 75 51

FA Cup

Key

  • H = Home match
  • A = Away match
  • In Result column, Nelson's score shown first
  • Goalscorers shown in order of first goal scored

Match results

Round Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
First round 27 November 1926 Stockport County (H) 4–1 Hampson (2), Sharp, Stevenson 8,757
Second round 11 December 1926 Ashington (A) 1–2 Stevenson 5,265

Player statistics

Key to positions

Statistics
Nat. Position Player Third Division North FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
England GK Harry Abbott 35020370
England HB Frank Bailey 300030
England HB Jim Baker 28620306
England OF Lewis Bedford 14400144
England IF Billy Bottrill 19420214
England FB Fred Broadhurst 24010250
England OF John Brown 200020
England OF Edwin Earle 17820198
England CF Jimmy Hampson 3523223725
England HB Ambrose Harris 20100201
England OF Sid Hoad 26200262
England FB John Keers 830083
England GK Fred Mace 700070
England HB Ronald Mitchell 32020340
Scotland FB James Pearson 23010240
England CF Thomas Pickering 100010
England FB Clement Rigg 37020390
England CF Percy Roberts 100010
Scotland IF Buchanan Sharp 3523213724
England HB Edwin Simpson 200020
Scotland IF John Stevenson 3517223719
England OF Harold Taylor 500050
England IF Henry White 13800138
England HB George Wilson 40520425

See also

References